Stu Cabe has been a Keynote and assembly speaker for over a decade, having presented to over 1 million students in his career. In his 22 years of education, Stu has learned one very valuable lesson when it comes to speaking to students. Less is more; keep it simple. This can sometimes prove problematic when someone asks "...so, what is your keynote assembly about"? The answer sometimes takes people by surprise.

Stu Cabe’s keynote presentation can be summed up in two words, “Be Nice." No elaborate pillar structure; no 5 Step Program; no acronyms or clever play on words. Just…Be Nice. The brilliance of his message lies in the simple, tangible way it can be applied and recalled. Stu’s ability to weave rich, vibrant and profound stories around his simple “Be Nice” concept is the sole reason his presentation has captivated hundreds of thousands of students nationwide and why he is most often times booked months in advance. The measure of any good keynote is the sticking power it has in the wake of its delivery.

It is not unusual for students to quote Stu’s message months, or even years after seeing it. Make no mistake that Stu's presentation, as simple as it may sound, is as memorable as it is powerful.

Keynote package #2

A habit starts out as something you do and becomes who you are.

The good news is that most of the habits we develop are good for us; tying our shoes, brushing our teeth, getting dressed, etc. These [habits] become automatic by virtue of the fact that we repeat them over and over. However, some habits are not as good for us. Over time, bad habits become a part of who we are just as the good ones do. Sometimes we don’t always recognize these "bad habits" until they are brought to our attention, leaving us with the difficult task of changing a part of who we are. That is not always easy to do.

We at The Ovation Company maintain the idea that there are no bad students, just students with bad habits.

Using this guiding principle as a spring board, Stu’s keynote tackles some of the "bad habits" students may have that center on how they treat each other and the language they use in general. Some of those words are unpleasant and hurtful and many students are unaware that these "bad habits" come with serious consequences. Without compromise or apology, Stu challenges students on the use of phrases like, “that’s so gay,” or, “that’s retarded," asking students to reflect on how and why those words are hurtful. He asks students to “break the habit” of this language while encouraging them to choose kindness, support and acceptance as their new ones.

This keynote can serve as a stand alone message, or perfectly compliment The Ovation Company’s 4Word Momentum program.

“Hi Stu, my name is Jacoy Willis... Yeah try and pronounce it. ;-) You spoke at my school, North Shore Junior High on Friday the ninth of August. I wanted to tell you that the very next day, Monday the twelfth, no less than 100 of my classmates were wearing crowns and a few over 60 were wearing white boards around there necks! What you said really touched me. I have been sitting alone at lunch for 5 years. The very next day after your speech no less than five kids asked me to sit with them. I have been bullied in the past but after you talked to us I think that this is going to start turning around. So I just wanted to say thank you on behalf of all kids harassed and friendless at our school because now we have confidence!”

“You are the best speaker i have ever heard. that speech was amazing, and i don't think you need to time travel and give Brad Pitt or some other famous person your name, because you ARE famous to every single person at Woodinville High. instantly after that assembly I noticed that so many people were following that one simple rule of being nice, and it monumentally changed our school for the better. I cannot thank you enough for speaking at our school.”
- Jacob Hanser